EINDHOVEN, Netherlands – 23/02/15 – EFFECT Photonics today announced that it has closed its Series-A funding to bring its Optical System-on-Chip technology to market to meet the soaring demand for bandwidth in cell towers and between datacentres. The first close of the investment round was led by investment company b-to-v Partners, and included the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) and Optidob.EFFECT Photonics develops and delivers highly integrated optical components based on InP (Indium Phosphide) which is the material of choice for combining efficient laser light sources, waveguides, modulators, amplifiers, and photodiodes used in optical communication systems throughout the world. Using EFFECT Photonics’ System-on-Chip Technology, port density can be increased by over 6-times and operational expenses reduced by 40% when compared with existing approaches.

EFFECT Photonics is a spin out from the prestigious Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e) which has been at the forefront of European photonic integration research. EFFECT Photonics, the recent winner of the Invest in Photonics Best Company award combines a team of integration technology innovators and experienced photonics industry veterans with backgrounds in Bookham, Nortel Components, JDSU and Agility.

James Regan, CEO, commented: “Dramatically increasing consumer demand for mobile video is driving a wave of data through cell towers and between datacentres that is expected to rise ten times over the next four years, creating a capacity crunch that only Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) can solve. With our DWDM Optical System-on-Chip and advanced packaging technologies we enable the cost structure network providers need in a competitive market environment.”

Dr. Christian Reitberger, joining the board of the company on behalf of b-to-v Partners, commented: “We are excited to work with the EFFECT Photonics team to deliver on the vision of highly cost effective photonic integration, combining the intellectual capital of Eindhoven and the South West UK know-how clusters. The photonic manufacturing ecosystem has finally evolved to make capital-light photonic hardware companies a reality.”

Miriam Dragstra, Managing Director of BOM Capital added: “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support EFFECT Photonics as a high-potential photonics start-up in our region, which has established itself as world-leading in the area of Integrated Photonics. Our investment will contribute to increasing that critical mass and its spin-off to the community further.”

For more information about EFFECT Photonics, visit: www.effectphotonics.com.

Source: EFFECT Photonics.

About EFFECT Photonics
EFFECT Photonics B.V. is spin out from the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e) and is a leader in the in the design and development of optical components using multichannel Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) in Indium Phosphide for mobile networks and datacentres. Headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, the birthplace of Philips, with additional R&D in South West UK and sales partners worldwide. For additional information, visit:www.effectphotonics.com.
Media contact
Email: press@effectphotonics.nl

About b-to-v Partners
Based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and Berlin, Germany, b-to-v is one of the leading networks of private investors in Europe. The company also acts as an independent investor and invests in start-ups, mid-size companies and special investment opportunities in the areas of Internet&Mobile, Life Sciences and Clean Technologies. b-to-v’s investment philosophy is based on creating sustainable added value for its portfolio companies while leveraging the industry expertise and entrepreneurial know-how stemming from the b-to-v’s network of private investors.

About BOM
The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) promotes business development in a number of ways, with a particular focus on innovative companies and cross-industry initiatives that give the Brabant economy a lasting and competitive edge in a rapidly globalizing world and place the region among the top in Europe in terms of knowledge and innovation. BOM employs themed funds to invest venture capital in concepts with a promising future and encourages other public and private partners to come on board. In addition to venture capital and business development, BOM encourages knowledge-intensive and other foreign companies to establish themselves in Brabant. BOM also revitalizes existing economic potential, primarily by means of overhauling aging commercial sites.